


within the walls

by invocations



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Canon Disabled Character, Chromatic Character, Fan Comics, Fanart, Gen, Post-Series, Transcribed, Transcribed Comic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-29
Updated: 2011-01-29
Packaged: 2017-10-15 04:57:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/157253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/invocations/pseuds/invocations
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life in Ba Sing Se is going just the way Toph likes it –  until an urgent message arrives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lorax](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lorax/gifts).



> Part of the white_lotus Lunar New Year gift exchange. I thank my beta, [paperwar](http://archiveofourown.org/users/paperwar/), for their invaluable help!


	2. Chapter 2

  


**Transcript**

PANEL 1

[Mountains and rocky landscape of the Earth Kingdom, with a single bird in the sky.]

 

PANEL 2

 [Underside of a dragon-hawk with a message tube strapped to it.]

 

PANEL 3

[Dragon-hawk flying over the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, with the city in shadows below.]


	3. Chapter 3

  


**Transcript**

PANEL 1

TOPH: [shouting] ROCK-LIKE!  

[Toph Bei Fong and ten students are in a courtyard, with the students all poised in a horse stance – knees bent in line with buttocks, arms bent parallel to thighs.]

PANEL 2

[Toph corrects a male student’s form.]

TOPH: You gotta be stable…unmoveable.

PANEL 3

TOPH: [shouting offscreen Less _air_! More scrunch and dirt!

[A male student whispers to the female student next to him as they train.]

MALE TRAINEE: [whispering] _She_ could do with less air.

PANEL 4

[Toph’s heel strikes the ground hard. Sound effect: BFFFF!]


	4. Chapter 4

  


**Transcript**

PANEL 1

[The male student is dangling – by the shirt – from an earthbended arm.  He has a scared expression. The female student is still her horse stance but has a shocked expression. Sound effect: SCHRRRR]

 

PANEL 2

[Toph stands with a slight smile on her face. Her hand is in mid-clench.]

 

PANEL 3

MALE STUDENT: OOF!

[Dust surrounds the above exclamation.]

 

PANEL 4

[Male student sitting on the ground, dazed. Two other students drawing near, concerned. Toph grins.]

TOPH:  Did I tell you guys to stop? <3

 

PANEL 5

CAPTION: 30 minutes later…

[Toph standing with her hands behind her back while students watch her]

TOPH:  You guys were _so_ good today that you reminded me of when I mastered that move. At _eight_. 

MAIDSERVANT: [offscreen] Um…

 

PANEL 6

[Toph pausing, ears perking up. A maidservant stands in the distance with her head bowed.]

MAIDSERVANT: Xiao jie?


	5. Chapter 5

  


**Transcript**

 ****  
PANEL 1

[Toph standing with her hands behind her back and mouth open in a yell.]

TOPH: Okay, last thing for today-- partner up for shoving drills!

 MAIDSERVANT: [offscreen] A hawk just arrived, if you would like to come inside and hear the message…

 

PANEL 2

[Toph standing, arms crossed, in front of the maidservant.]

TOPH: Can’t this wait?

MAIDSERVANT: Well, uh—

TOPH: Just _say_ it.

 

PANEL 3

[Maidservant bowing her head, hands fidgeting.]

 MAIDSERVANT: The message was marked urgent. Madam Bei Fong passed.

 

PANEL 4

[Toph looking dismayed.]

 MAIDSERVANT: During the night.

 

PANEL 5

[Toph standing very still, eyes closed.]


	6. Chapter 6

  


**Transcript**

Inset Panel

[Framed drawing of Poppy Bei Fong, surrounded by incense, oranges, and bowls of food.]

 

Background

[Rocky landscape of Gao Ling. Toph and four people carrying a coffin walk up a hill.]


	7. Chapter 7

  


**Transcript**

 ****  
PANEL 1

[Toph bending, her fingers crooked in force. Sound effect: KRRAAAAK]

 

PANEL 2   
****

[Toph stands at the foot of a large rectangular hole in the ground. A crowd of mourners is gathered at some distance away.]

 

PANEL 3

[Four men lower the wooden coffin into the ground by the long poles that are fastened to the vessel.]

 

MAN 1: [whispering] They say she died of a broken heart.

MAN 2: [whispering] Shh! Someone will hear you.

 

PANEL 4

[Toph looks intently at nothing in particular.]

  



	8. Chapter 8

  


  


**Transcript**

[Flashback begins]

 

PANEL 1

[Tea being poured from a leaking teapot into mismatched cups.]

POPPY:  [offscreen] He asked that you re-think the proposal.

 

PANEL 2

[Toph and Poppy seated at a table.]

POPPY:  I hear the gentleman in question is very nice.

TOPH: <sigh> You know I’m not interested. And why doesn’t Dad just contact me _directly_?

 

PANEL 3

[Toph and Poppy seated on the floor at a low table.]

POPPY: After what happened last time, he thought you might rip up his letters without hearing them.

TOPH: Oh. Yeah. That _is_ something I’d do!

 

PANEL 4

[Poppy’s hand covering Toph’s.]

POPPY: [offscreen] He thinks you’ll listen to me. <sigh> Must you stay here, Toph? Just one maidservant for half the day? A leaking tea pot? And it’s so… _congested_ in the Lower Ring. Come home.

 

PANEL 5

[Toph’s hand curled into a fist and withdrawn from under Poppy’s hand.]

TOPH: [offscreen] I don’t want that kind of life.


	9. Chapter 9

  


**Transcript**

PANEL 1  
 ****

[Toph looking down.]

TOPH: <nngh> We’ve already talked about this. I’ve made a life _here_ and I don’t wanna go back. The kids need to be taught—

 POPPY: [interrupting] You mean _you_ need it. Who needs earthbending in a time of _peace_?

 

PANEL 2

[Toph standing up, arms outspread in frustration.]

 TOPH: Yeah, maybe I do! It’s like breathing, _living,_ and—

 POPPY: [quietly interrupting] I know.

 

PANEL 3

[Toph’s hand is clenched in the foreground. Poppy is still seated, her eyes cast downward.]

 POPPY: Your father can say what he wants. I just miss my daughter.

 TOPH: Well, I don’t miss you. And if you did, it’s probably for what I can bring you.

 

PANEL 4

[Poppy looking distressed.]

 POPPY: Toph! You know I lov—

 TOPH: [interrupting offscreen] Just go.

 

PANEL 5

[Tears tracking down Toph’s face.]

 TOPH: [thinking] The way you love is to wall me in. 

[Flashback ends] 


	10. Chapter 10

  


**Transcript**

PANEL 1

[Toph looking down at the coffin, now in the ground.]

 

PANEL 2

[Toph with hands outstretched to earthbend, eyes scrunched in concentration.]

MOURNER 1: [offscreen]  …years gone by and now she comes back to her mother? 

MOURNER 2: [offscreen] No respect these days.

 

PANELS 3 to 5

[The hole closing over, gradually revealing less and less of Toph’s figure and finally blacks out.]


	11. Chapter 11

  


**Transcript**

PANEL 1

[Night time; hooded figure jumps over a roof.]

Caption: Four months later…

 

PANEL 2

[Figure in mid-air, falling…]

 

PANEL 3

[…figure landing in a courtyard.]

 

PANEL 4

[Figure running.]

 

PANEL 5

[Figure falling, mouth open and hands clutching at air.]

  



	12. Chapter 12

  


**Transcript**

PANEL 1

[Toph sitting, backed up against a wall, shocked. Sound effect: THUD]

 

PANEL 2

[Toph running out of the room. A mattress is on the floor behind her.]

 

PANEL 3

[Toph running, determined.]

 

PANEL 4

[Toph’s feet near the edge of a dark hole in the ground.]

 

PANEL 5

[Toph standing at the top of the hole, looking down on the hooded figure in the deep, dark pit.]

PANEL 6

[Zuko looks up, frowning.]

ZUKO: Nice security system you got here.


	13. Chapter 13

**Transcript**

 

PANEL 1

[Toph standing with the night sky behind her, shocked.]

 

PANEL 2

[Toph bending Zuko out of the pit; Zuko covering his face with an arm, coughing.]

 

PANEL 3

[Toph with hands on her hips; Zuko standing in front of her.]

 

TOPH: Firelord _Hotpants_? What are _you_ doing here?

ZUKO: Argh, I told you not to call me— never mind.

 

PANEL 4

[Zuko smiling.]

ZUKO: Hi, Toph. Can I come in?

 

PANEL 5

[Toph walking into her house.]

TOPH: Yeah, all right. Like you weren’t gonna bust in, anyway.


	14. Chapter 14

**Transcript**

PANEL 1

[Zuko placing teapot and cups on the table; Toph seated.]

TOPH: Not that I’m _unhappy_ to see you or anything, but don’t you have a nation to run?

 

PANEL 2

[Zuko and Toph seated at the table.]

ZUKO: Mai’s in charge right now. 

TOPH: Nothing new there! They don’t call her “The Shadow” for no reason.

 

PANEL 3

ZUKO: Whatever! Anyway, she wanted me to take a break. And, well, I came to ask…

 

PANEL 4

[Zuko looking upbeat]

 ZUKO: How about that life-changing field trip?

 

PANEL 5

[Toph looking annoyed.]

 TOPH: Are. You. Serious.

 

PANEL 6

[Zuko looking uneasy.]

 ZUKO: Oh? I thought you might like something like that…


	15. Chapter 15

  


**Transcript**

PANEL 1

[Toph standing, bent over Zuko, looking angry.]

TOPH: You, His Emperor-ness, came down from your palace and offer to take me _fishing_ or something _puny_ like that cos you feel _sorry_ for me?! Who made you come? Firelady Gloom? Katara? Uncle?

 

PANEL 2

[Toph glares at Zuko.]  
ZUKO: _No one_ made me – and you know I’m not lying! And, and we don’t _have_ to go fishing…

TOPH: But you _do_ feel sorry for me.

 

PANEL 3

ZUKO:  Maybe – more like, _worried_ , cos none of us’ve heard from you for ages. Even Uncle said you’ve been teaching almost non-stop. That’s what _friends_ do, Toph: worry.

 

PANEL 4

[Zuko seated at table, Toph standing with arms dropped at her sides.]

ZUKO: And…although it’s complicated, I bet it still feels strange to lose a mother.

TOPH: Yeah.

 

PANEL 5

[Toph seated at table again, head buried in her arms. Sound effect: SSIGH]


	16. Chapter 16

**Transcript**

PANEL 1

TOPH:  The last time I saw her… Maybe she was trying to understand me in her way, I dunno –  but I still pushed her away.

 

PANEL 2

TOPH:  I just…gave up on her.

 

PANEL 3

ZUKO: Sometimes we can’t be what other people want us to be. Thing is, sometimes _they_ can’t be what you want them to be, either, huh?

 

PANEL 4

TOPH: I know, I know. I…wish I did it differently. With her. 

ZUKO: Yeah.

 

PANEL 5

[Zuko’s hand on Toph’s shoulder.]


	17. Chapter 17

  


**Transcript**

PANEL 1

[Zuko looks downcast.]

ZUKO: Uh…you don’t have to come on this trip if you don’t want. I just turned up and didn’t think whether you wanted this or not— I’m sorry.  I thought a trip might be nice cos you like _doing_ things. Maybe you could use the space to think about stuff.

TOPH: [offscreen] And maybe we could _braid our hair_ and _tell stories_ round the campfire!

PANEL 2

[Zuko looks surprised.]

ZUKO: But I don’t know how to braid!

TOPH: [offscreen] <snerk>

 

PANEL 3

[Toph punching Zuko, who recoils.]

TOPH: Maaaybe you need to get your sarcasm detector fixed while we’re away, Sunshine.

ZUKO: <ngh!>

 

PANEL 4

[Zuko rubbing his arm; Toph with arms crossed, looking benevolent.]

ZUKO: So you’ll come?

TOPH: Well, since you came all this way…

 

PANEL 5

TOPH: …and it may not be the _worst_ idea you’ve come up with.

[Toph smiles.]


	18. Chapter 18

  


**Transcript**

PANEL 1

[Outside walls of Toph’s compound, with a closed gateway with a piece of paper stuck to it.]

 

PANEL 2

[Gate locked with a ring of metal through the handles.  Paper on the gate has Chinese characters and a scribbled face of Toph with her teeth bared.]

 

PANEL 3

[Toph bending a platform of rock, Zuko seated behind her.]

NOTE: Closed until further notice.

 

PANEL 4

[Toph looking back at Zuko, who has a slight smile on his face.]

NOTE: You better practice in the meantime!


	19. Chapter 19

**Transcript**

[Large cloud of dust trails out and away from the walls of Ba Sing Se.]

NOTE:  _I’ll be back!_

 

(Fin.)


End file.
